


Soon Enough

by nihilism



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-20
Updated: 2012-07-20
Packaged: 2017-11-10 08:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/464214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nihilism/pseuds/nihilism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>True training could never come quickly enough to suit Jeremy, either.  He longed to be among other aviators, among the majestic beasts they commanded, and in company with Celeritas whom <i>he</i> would command in due time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soon Enough

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pitseleh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pitseleh/gifts).



_Celeritas_. It meant _speed_ ; Jeremy knew this from the Latin lessons his tutor gave him, but the dragon's name seemed to mock his own impatience.

Celeritas was gold and green, colors promising the wealth and lushness of wonder and adventure that would become Jeremy's life as soon as he was old enough to start training. Not the training he did at home: his grandfather, reclining in an old wooden armchair with his leg propped on a crate to ease the pain of the gout, instructing and correcting Jeremy as the boy scrambled over the sturdy woodwork mound and practiced snapping and unsnapping his carbiners along the harness, quick, quicker, but never quickly enough to suit the aging, retired captain.

True training could never come quickly enough to suit Jeremy, either. He longed to be among other aviators, among the majestic beasts they commanded, and in company with Celeritas whom _he_ would command in due time. 

But that time was not yet. At six years of age, he had at the least one more year before he could formally join the Aerial Corps.

The entire family, and even a few bolder servants, had emerged from the house in varying attitudes of excitement, pleasure, or reluctance as soon as the gardener had spotted the dragon circling overhead and called an announcement. 

Jeremy rushed from where he was playing in the sun-room, pale blue eyes stretched wide with excitement as he watched Celeritas spiral gracefully and touch down, seeming impossibly light for a creature so improbably huge.

Jeremy's father loped along at a more sedate pace with his chin held high and a smile of pleasure for the sight of his younger brother letting himself down the harness and approaching.

Jeremy's mother followed her husband with an air of carrying out some distasteful duty; though the smile she offered Celeritas' captain along with her hand was charming enough, she was obviously reluctant to go any nearer the dragon than necessary and eyed the other aviators sidelong, distrustful.

Her youngest son showed no such hesitance. Giving his uncle a cursory bow of greeting, Jeremy continued swiftly to Celeritas' side. The dragon lowered his head, tilted it, bringing a green eye nearly as large as Jeremy's entire head to focus on the boy. The curious gaze made Jeremy feel suddenly shy, and he instead focused on the crew unhooking some sort of net from the supple leather harness. Celeritas snorted: a sound of amusement.

"So, you are Jeremy, are you?" the dragon asked, in a voice like a gentle earthquake. Jeremy could only nod, throat constricted by joy and irrational anxiety. Celeritas seemed to find it a sufficient response nonetheless. "Yes, your grandfather has told me much of you, and my current captain, as well. I hear you have already started harness training."

"Yes, I have," Jeremy said, finally finding his voice. "Grandfather instructs me once every week, and he has begun to teach me some of the signal flags too."

The great green eyes shifted from him a moment, over his shoulder, and Celeritas gave a deep hum of consideration. Jeremy thought it sounded displeased, but he could not see why that would be so; when he glanced back himself, he saw only his mother, standing still at the edge of the clearing and not even facing them.

"Well, I am glad to hear it," Celeritas' answer drew the boy's attention once again. "I do look forward to seeing you at Loch Laggan, and to our first flight together."

"Oh, I do, too!" Jeremy's excitement made him forget the studied composure that was at all times expected of him, as a representative of his illustrious family. "Please, cannot I fly with you and Uncle to-day? I do have a carbiner belt, and I'm sure I shouldn't weigh on you at all!"

The responding hum was approving this time, though Celeritas had a look of kindly forbearance in his eyes. "Not just yet, Jeremy. I believe you may already be engaged for the evening."

Belatedly, Jeremy recalled the dinner party his mother was hosting, the reason for his uncle visiting at all. He tried not to show his disappointment. In any case, he had no time for a reply.

"Jeremy, that's enough, come away now," his mother called. There was some dark emotion beneath her carefully modulated, polite tone. "We must get you dressed before the Duke arrives."

"Yes, mother." Following the irresistible force of maternal command, Jeremy straightened his shoulders and turned to march back to the doorway. His mother offered him an approving nod, which shortly changed to ill-concealed displeasure when the boy stopped and turned to address the dragon once more. "But perhaps I could go aloft with you sometime soon? Only for a short flight?"

Celeritas peered back thoughtfully, looking from young Jeremy to his mother, then back again. His large spade-shaped head bowed on his long neck in a nod. "Yes, soon enough."

But it could not be soon enough, and in the end, it was only too late.

**Author's Note:**

> Celeritas tells Laurence that Rankin's mother kept him home later than most aviators and that his upbringing gave him "strange notions" about handling dragons. I decided to explore that some.
> 
> As to Rankin's grandfather being an Earl and retired aviator both: I am pretending he was a younger son, and was sent to the Aerial Corps, but was forced to retire early when his elder brother died, without children, and left him to take up the earldom. He would have been happier to stay an aviator and in some ways lives that life vicariously through his son and grandson.
> 
> This is my first Temeraire fic, so comments and concrit would be very, very appreciated. Has not been beta'd.


End file.
